Hiking at Penang Hill

If you’re following me on Instagram, you’ll know that I spent the last few days of February in Penang, Malaysia. The trip was mostly for work but I did get to hike at Penang Hill that Sunday. The trails we followed are man-made with a lot steps, though the roots and plants are left to grow along the path.

Even though we arrived fairly early in the morning, it took us nearly half-an-hour to find a parking space. Cars were double parked along the pavements, and drivers imagined makeshift lots to accommodate more cars than the parking lots had been designed for. Apparently, the crowds aren’t usually so bad and it turns out that this happened due to an event at the nearby youth park.

In any case, the patience was worth it. The weather felt significantly cooler in the shade of the canopies and the view was wonderful. Of course, I came prepared with my camera, so I have a series of photos to share.

Ferns along the wayTall grassMorning dewTrees’ roots criss-crossing above groundEnjoying the fresh airTook a short break along the wayMonkeys spottedAlmost at the third stationGlad to leave the steps behind for the dirt trailView of Penang from the edge of the hillDistant view of Penang and the seaView of Penang beyond the trees on the hillThe jagged edges looked pretty viciousPerfectly framed clearingFresh coconut

At the end of the hike at Penang Hill, we rewarded ourselves with fresh coconuts. We made sure to request them with thinner flesh, so that there’d be more coconut water to refresh ourselves with.

Lovely pictures (and nice to see you included a pic of you in there as well :D)! I miss walking in nature. It was my go to thing when I first started struggling with depression, driving to the nearest state park and spending a couple hours just walking in the threes every day. Something about getting away from everything and being surrounded by the peace and calm of nature is so relaxing. I miss it! The view from the top of the hill is absolutely gorgeous as well! Looks like you chose a perfect day to hike 🙂

Thank you, Asti! (My camera was practically ripped out of my hands for that shot. Lol.)

Awww. Not much nature near you anymore? 🙁 But yeah, I fell you. That’s one thing I don’t like about living in highly urbanised cities. At least Singapore’s making an effort to be “green” city, so there are some nature spots to retreat to. And Penang tries to preserve their natural habitats as well. Apparently a developer had already made plans to build on a site on Penang Hill. Good thing they were denied.

Oh and we didn’t go to the top. The view was from a station on the way up 😉 We didn’t go much further ’cause this was already our second trail and we had lunch plans.

I wouldn’t say there’s NO nature near me, as the local area does contain a lot of small parks. But nothing as secluded as I’d like. The nearest one that I absolutely love visiting is a State Park located a half hour away, which isn’t horrible, but seeming how I have no vehicle to transport myself most of the week my opportunities to go are quite limited. (If I still had my old car though, I’d visit quite regularly!)

Wow, you guys didn’t even have to go to the top to get such a great view? Don’t blame you then! Looks like a lovely place either way. (And lunch is always the perfect thing to stop for. I’m actually going to stop commenting on blogs right now to get some lunch… ;))